Possessor of the Vajra-body, remover of fears -
Your gestures dispel the darkness of delusion and
Perform deeds that spread light onto the world;
Prostrations to the feet of that well accomplished Guru.

Gentle voiced one, holder of the highest wisdom
Your words are in accord with Dharma's essense
Your laughter is the tone of Emptiness' bell;
Reverent prostrations to the feet of that Guru who shows the Path.

Knower of the three realms, Ngawang Kunga -
Compassionate one who never abandons all living beings
Whose mind dwells in the clear light of Dharmadhatu;
Reverent prostrations to the feet of that perfect Guru.

Om Ah Guru Vajra Dhara Vagindra Nanda Sarva Siddhi Hung

Ngawang Kunga, line of Khon, divine
Granting benefits and joy to all
Owner of the great and secret path
Wishfulfilling great King, please live long!

Introduction

His Holiness Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Ngawang Kunga was born in Tsedong near Shigatse in the Sixteenth Rabjong cycle, in the year of The Wood Bird, on first of the eighth Tibetan month (September 7, 1945).

Sakya Trizin means "The Throneholder of Sakya". His Holiness is the 41st Patriarch of the Sakya tradition, one of the four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya lineage is often closely related to Manjushri (the youthful prince known as the bodhisattva of wisdom).

Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, the previous head of the Drolma Phodrang, and Sonam Drolkar, the sister of a renowned minister of the Tibetan Government, had four children. The eldest, a daughter whose name is Jetsunma Chime Luding, currently lives and teaches in Canada. The next born were a son and daughter who passed away in infancy.

His Holiness Kyabgon Sakya Trizin wrote:

"For the sake of having a son, my parents went on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, to Nepal, to Lhasa and to South Tibet, but there was never any sign that a son might be born. They had given up all hope when they reached Nalanda Monastery, an important Sakya monastery north of Lhasa and told the monastery's abbots of this. The leaders were shocked and very worried, as our family lineage, the Drolma Palace line, held the tradition of the most esoteric Sakya teachings and moreover, most of the heads of the monastery had received these teachings from my grandfather, so to them, the continuation of our family was most important.

They urged my parents not to give up hope, and moreover they gave up one of their best teachers, Lama Ngawang Lodro Rinchen, so that he could travel with my parents. This was something of a loss to the monastery, but he was a very powerful Lama who could perform all the different rituals, and in particular, his prayers had caused children to be born to women who had been unable to have children before. After this he always travelled with my father, and together they performed many rituals and prayed for a son to be born. At last it became clear that the prayers had been answered and my parents halted at Tsedong, a small, pleasant town near Shigatse. It had been decided that it was a good place for a child to be born, partly perhaps for its reputation as the birthplace of many great Sakya teachers such as Ngakchang Chenpo Ngawang Kunga Rinchen. In fact, I was born in the same room as Ngakchang Chenpo. A further problem arose: a succession of astrologically inauspicious days. As my parents wanted me to be born on an auspicious day, many more prayers were said. And I was not born on a bad day: I was born on the first day of the eighth Tibetan month, which was considered quite good. It is said that rainbows were seen over our house, and that an image of Guru Rinpoche was then offered to my father, which were good signs, but of course, I didn't know anything of this."

Immediately after His Holiness was born, birth, the sacred syllable letter Dhih (the letter of Manjushri) was written on his tongue with a special nectar made of saffron and many other things. During his birth, the entire sky was festooned with extraordinary rainbows. Soon afterwards, an eighty year old man with white hair offered a Thangka of long life deities, and also butter and cheese. The milk of one hundred dris (female yaks) was offered in a crystal vessel by a handsome youth clad in white, who claimed to have been sent by the chieftain of Tsedong. However, when enquiries were made later, no trace of this young man could be found.

While His Holiness was an infant, his name was Ayu Vajra. Later, when his father gave him his first major initiation of "The Nine Deities of Amitayus" he was given his present name
"Ngawang Kunga Thegchen Palber Thrinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo". When the family returned to the main Sakya monastery the next year, there was an extensive celebration of the anniversary of his birth.

His Holiness 41st Kyabgon Sakya Trizin is the reincarnation of two great Tibetan masters: a Nyingmapa lama known as Apong Terton (Orgyen Thrinley Lingpa), who is famous for his Red Tara cycle, and his grandfather, the 39th Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Dhagtshul Thrinley Rinchen (1871 - 1936).

The first indication that His Holiness was a reincarnation of Apong Terton occurred when a Dakini prophesied to Apong Terton that he would hold the throne of Sakya in his next life. When his parents asked him when he was a very young child where he came from, he answered that he came from far away and that his home was a tent. When he learned to talk, he spoke in Golok dialect, which was the dialect spoken by Apong Terton. Later on, in 1949, Apong Terton's son came to visit the Khon family, he told Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, "The great Terton purposely took birth in the Sakya Khon family to uphold the Sakya doctrine. I have no intention of requesting his return." When he met a disciple of Apong Terton called Sheija, His Holiness repeated a piece of advice given to him in the same words that Apong Terton had spoken earlier. He even called him Thubten Sheija. Only Apong Terton and a few close people had known that Thubten was Sheija's first name. There were also many other signs to show that he was the reincarnation of Apong Terton. On the day of His Holiness' birth, someone offered an image of Guru Padmasambhava. This is considered to be an auspicious sign and a further indication that he was the reincarnation of Apong Terton. Another auspicious connection is the fact that during his first meeting with Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, he received the transmission of the complete cycle of Longchen Nyingthig teachings from him.

And when His Holiness was about seven or eight years old, he went to a Mahakala Temple, which was rebuilt by 39th Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Dhagtshul Thrinley Rinchen, for the first time. During the restoration, he left a small skylight open in the upper southwest corner, so that
light could enter the temple. Right away His Holiness asked, "What happened to the window? Where is the window?" "Somehow somebody closed the window," replied the old man
beside him, with tears in his eyes. The old man had known 39th Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Dhagtshul Thrinley Rinchen and he knew that once there was a window. That is why the Sakyapas also believe that His Holiness is the reincarnation of 39th Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Dhagtshul Thrinley Rinchen.

Her Eminence Jetsun Kusho Chimey Luding commented:

"If somebody is born into our family lineage, the former lineage of the reincarnation
may be lost and these reincarnations don't get their monastery. This is because for us
the family lineage is more important, it has priority. Our Khon Lineage does not need
reincarnations. It is always passed down from father to son."

Early childhood and education

His Holiness received the major initiation of Vajrakilaya and many other profound teachings from his father. He lost both parents at a very early age. So his maternal aunt, Thrinley Paljor Sangmo, with great kindness, took extremely good care of him. Thrinley Paljor Sangmo said he was a child with exceptional qualities. The extraordinary signs that have always accompanied him bore witness to his realization. He was a very well behaved child and showed many signs of special qualities. As a young child, he pretended to do fire pujas and made toy tormas, which he tossed away in imitation of the ritual of disposing of the effigy. He also used to imitate chanting and rituals. When Lama Ngaglo Rinpoche saw these things he said, 'There is no doubt that he will be a great teacher, with high accomplishment and spiritual power.'

Thrinley Paljor Sangmo appointed Jamphel Ponlop Kunga Gyaltsen as his first tutor and from him he learned the fundamental of the Tibetan reading, writing, memorization and the recitation of basic prayers. He learned chanting, music, ritual dancing, mudras and other subjects from his junior tutor Kunga Tsewang. After completion of these studies, a great celebration was held in which the Sakya Trizin officially entered both the Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries to perform the traditional Sakya ceremonies.

When His Holiness finished his studies at the Sakya Monasteries, he went to receive teachings at the Ngor E-Wam monastery. There at the age of five, he received the the Common and Uncommon Lam Dre (Tshod Shey and Lob Shey) teachings, bestowed upon him by his main Root Guru the great Ngor abbot Vajradhara Ngawang Lodro Zhenphen Nyingpo.

In 1951, His Holiness made a pilgrimage to Lhasa. There at the age of six he was designated the throne holder of the Sakya Order by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Accordingly, the next year a preliminary enthronement ceremony was performed in which he accepted the official seals of the office of the Sakya Trizin. Following the Parinirvana of his Root Guru Vajradhara Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo in 1953, the latter's Regent, Ngawang Tenzin Nyingpo, became another important guru to him. From this lama he received the initiations and reading tranmission (lung) for Grub-thab Kun-tu (The Collection of Sadhanas). And from Lama Ngawang Lodro Rinpoche he received the initiations and oral instructions relating to the Marpo Kor Sum (Three Major Red Deities), the Marmo Kor Sum (Three Red Deities), and the two main Sakya Protectors.

At the age of eleven he again journeyed to Lhasa where he received teachings from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the Potala Palace. Also on this occasion he gave an extensive explanation of the Mandala Offering before His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a large assembly. This event led to his wisdom being proclaimed throughout Tibet. Another guru to His Holiness was the renowned Lama Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, from whom he received many Tantric initiations and teachings, both Sakya and Nyingma. In 1957 he again received the Lam Dre teachings, on this occasion from the great abbot of Sakya, Vajradhara Jampal Zangpo, according to the tradition of the Khon Lineage transmission.

Enthronement and Exile

In 1959 at the age of fourteen he was formally enthroned as the Sakya Trizin, this three-day ceremony being preceded by a seven-day Mahakala ritual. Representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government were in attendance. But by this time the political and military situation in Tibet had undergone a dangerous deterioration, and his flight to neighbouring Sikkim (a three day journey from Sakya) soon became necessary.

Abandoning the holy principal seat of the Sakya tradition, which his family had occupied for nearly 900 years, His Holiness was able to take with him only the barest minimum of possessions and a few attendants. Arriving in India in 1959 at the age of fifteen, he was nonetheless able to found Ghoom Monastery at Darjeeling in the following year, and Sa-Ngor Chotsok Monastery at Gangtok in Sikkim and also to begin the task of reassembling the Sangha.

Under the oversight of his aunt, his studies continued with various of the great Buddhist teachers of the Sakya tradition who had survived the catastrophe in Tibet. From such great scholars as the Abbots Tritso Rinchen and Serjong Appey Rinpoche he received extensive philosophical teachings in Logic, Abhidharma, Madhyamika, the Prajnaparamita, and "Discrimination of the Three Vows" (by Sakya Pandita). Particularly from Khenpo Appey Rinpoche, His Holiness received a thorough and detailed explanation of the Hevajra Root Tantra and other related teachings. And from one of the four Ngor abbots, Phende Khen Rinpoche, His Holiness received the initiation and explanation of Yamantaka in the Rwa Lotsawa Tradition, as well as the collected writings of Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrup.

On account of political tensions between India and China during the early 1960s which were giving rise to military activity in the border regions, His Holiness then moved from Darjeeling to the relative safety of Mussourie in the Himalayan foothills near Dehra Dun. Around this time he taught the Lam Dre Tshod Shey at Varanasi. The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, a Tibetan Buddhist university, had recently been established at nearby Sarnath, and this was a time for regrouping and re-establishing of contacts for many Tibetan people who had been scattered and separated by the traumatic events of recent years. His Holiness, His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche (head of the Tsarpa branch of the Sakya Tradition and of Nalendra Monastery), and His Eminence Ngor Luding Khen Rinpoche (75th abbot of Ngor Monastery) were all present. This event was seen by many as a watershed, after which a new blossoming of Dharma activity came about.

Marriage and maintain the tradition of the Khon Lineage

In 1974, to maintain the tradition of the Khon Lineage, His Holiness married Dagmo Kusho Tashi Lhakyi, the daughter of the Minister of the King of Dege. That same year was highlighted by the auspicious birth of their first son, His Eminence Khondung Ratna Vajra Rinpoche. A second son, His Eminence Khondung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche, was to be born five years later in 1979.

The Propagation and Preservation of Buddhadharma in the 1980's

In 1978, His Holiness received the complete transmission of "The Collected Works of the Five Great Founders of Sakya" and "The Collected Tantric Works of the Omniscient Teacher Gorampa" from the Kyabje Dezhung Rinpoche. Then in 1980, His Holiness performed the opening ceremony of the main Sakya Monastery, Thupten Namgyal Ling at Puruwala.

Later, in January 1988, on the anniversary of the parinirvana of Sakya Pandita, His Holiness consecrated and inaugurated the monastery and temple of Ngor E-wam Choden at Manduwala, near Dehra Dun. Meanwhile larger permanent premises for Sakya College had been built at Rajpur, and by the present time it caters for 130 monks, producing twelve graduates each year.

Thus from the difficult beginnings of exile from his homeland, His Holiness has worked ceaselessly for the preservation and successful reconstitution of Sakya's rich and profound Dharma heritage. Apart from these heavy responsibilities he has, in the course of his life so far, undertaken major and minor meditational retreats on twenty deities of the Sakya Lineage, given numerous initiations, written a large number of texts, and in particular has bestowed the vast Lam Dre teachings on no fewer than eleven occasions. Moreover he has not only been a beacon to his own Tibetan community in their time of crisis, but has taken an extensive part in making the Dharma available world-wide, travelling repeatedly and regularly to teach in many parts of the world. These have included Australia, Austria, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States. He is an unfailing source of wisdom and compassion for his fortunate disciples.

His Holiness lives, when not engaged on his many commitments, at the Drolma Phodrang in Rajpur, Northern India, together with his wife, Dagmo Kusho Tashi Lhakyi, and two sons, His Eminence Khondung Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and His Eminence Khondung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche, both of whom have themselves received an extensive education in the Buddhadharma which is in the interests of preserving unbroken the traditions of the Khon Lineage.
Khondung Ratna Vajra Rinpoche is married to Dagmo Kalden Dunkyi since 12 September 2002 and Khondung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche is married to Dagmo Sonam Palkyi since 21 April 2008.

Edited by Ngawang Geleg (Henry Chia), based on various biographies for His Holiness 41st Kyabgon Sakya Trizin.

The following is the list of early Lineage Holders of the Lharig & Khon Family and the 41 Throneholders of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Lharig - Heavenly Race:

01. Chiring (later to reascend to the heavens), the first of the Lharig Family.
02. Yuse, he had four sons known as the Four Brothers of Sechili.
03. Yuring, ascended to heaven and returned, married a Mu spirit and had seven sons.
04. Masang Chije, a leader of humans, he had one son.
05. Togsa Pawo Tag, married a Naga girl and had one son.
06. Tagpo Ochen, he had one son.
07. Yapang Kye, he fought with the Yaksha demons and married a Yaksha girl, he had one son.

The Khon Family ('born amidst quarreling'):

08. Khon Bar Kye, the beginning of the Khon Family name, he had one son.
09. Khon Jekundag, the Home Minister to King Trisong Detsen, a student of Guru Padmasambhava, he had two sons.
10. The first son, Khon Luyi Wangpo Sungwa (Khon Nagendra Raksita), one of the first seven Tibetans to receive monastic ordination from Indian Abbott Shantirakshita.
11. The second son, Khon Dorje Rinchen had seven sons.
12. The sixth son, Sherab Yontan had two sons and lived in Yerlung near Sakya.
13. Khon Yontan Jungne, he had three sons.
14. Khon Tsugtor Sherab, he had seven sons.
15. Khon Gegyab, he had two sons.
16. Khon Gethong, he had one son.
17. Khon Balpo, he had one son.
18. Khon Shakya Lodro, he had two sons.
19. The elder - Sherab Tsultrim.

The practice of Khon Vajrakilaya (Saphur or Khon Lug Dorje Phurba) is the important teaching of the Khon Family and the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is the only kama lineage of Vajrakilaya to survive. The following order shows unbroken lineage transmission of this great teaching from the great Indian master Guru Padmasambhava to His Holiness Kyabgon Sakya Trizin:

Lam Dre (Sanskrit: Margapala) is the most significant teaching of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The following order shows unbroken lineage transmission of this great teaching from the great Indian master Mahasiddha Virupa to His Holiness Kyabgon Sakya Trizin:

The practice of Naro Khachod (Naro Vajrayogini or Naro Khechari) is the second significant teaching of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The following order shows unbroken lineage transmission of this great teaching from the great Indian master Mahasiddha Naropa to His Holiness Kyabgon Sakya Trizin:

Second Buddha, Teacher of Lam Dre
Teachings of the Sakya Founders, Five
Valid path of Buddha taught thru' speech
You who teach like Buddha, please live long

Having come, you beautify this world
Holding Sakya's power temporal
Radiating Sakya's Dharma works
Vajra like three secrets, long remain

Triple Gem and Teacher, kind and true
Yidam and Protector's, full of might
Profound and unchanging sublime Truth
By these powers, our hopes (will) be fulfilled

Concluding Prayers to the Long Life Prayer

By the blessing of the Triple Gem
By the power of the virtuous ones
Dharma holders, line of Manjushri
Live long, may your deeds like Buddha's grow

Praying for our Teacher's perfect health
Praying for our Teacher's ageless life
Praying that their works will grow and spread
Not to part from them Oh! Bless me please

May they have vast merits, mountain like
May they hold the teachings, stellar like
May their fame and glory spread thru' space
Thru' their good-works gain we, happiness

This version of His Holiness Sakya Trizin's long life prayer was translated by Lama Ngawang Samten and put into verse in accordance to the Tibetan chanting metrical form of the prayer by Stephen Ang. This work was offered to His Holiness Sakya Trizin on 22 June 1987 in deep grattitude for the bestowing of the Lam Dre Tshok Shed teachings (by His Holiness) at Sakya College, Rajpur. It was formally chanted during the final assembly after the long life puja offering to His Holiness at the conclusion of the Lam Dre teachings on 3 July 1987. Revisions are most welcome but care must be taken when replacing any of the English words so as maintain the metrical chanting accents. Through the merit accumulated, may all sentient beings have long life without any hindrance and ultimately gain Enlightenment.